From campground rattler to “What fiberglass egg should we buy?”

Saturday, October 29

Virgin River as seen from Cedar Pocket Campground, northwestern Arizona

It rained, the sun came out, I changed my mind.

In the previous post I expressed an urge to leave Cedar Pocket Campground in Virgin River Gorge Recreation Area. Like the sunshine that followed the sudden deluge of rain, my contentment with this camp returned.

The sun comes out and thoughts of a new camp evaporate.

I pay for a few more days, clip the fee stub to our campsite post, and settle into my lounger for a few tosses of Bite Me, the flea, for Reggie to fetch.

Every day Charlie and his German Shepherd, Sadie, visit us at our shelter. Sadie and Reggie play together while Charlie and I exchange campground news, places we’ve camped, and other typical, RVer talk.

When Reg and I pass their campsite on a campground walk-around, Sadie, always wearing a pink bandana around her neck, comes running out to us. Charlie soon follows.

A couple evenings ago — actually it was dusk — Charlie hollers . . .

“Come over here, Sue! I want you to see what we found.”

He’s standing with a flashlight pointed to the ground. As I jog over he warns me to keep Reggie away.

“He’s tied,” I reassure him. Reggie sits down, having reached the end of his tether which is tied to the handle at the Best Little Trailer’s door.

At first we wonder if the visitor is a harmless gopher snake.

The snake is not aggressive or hostile. When it wiggles away to a nearby bush, we see the rattles.

“Sadie’s the one who alerted me,” Charlie says proudly. “She jumped up and crossed the road barking but she didn’t get too close. She sat down and waited for me.”

He ruffles the fur on Sadie’s neck. The happy gleam in Sadie’s eyes says, “Yep. I’m the one who saved the day!”

Almost every morning, Reg and I walk down to the day use area.

We first tried this trek about ten days ago and it was too much. Now we take it in stride. Even the long stretch going uphill! Progress!

The water is back on!

I drive the Perfect Tow Vehicle up to the water storage tank and fill ten one-gallon jugs. On the day we leave Cedar Pocket I’ll replenish what we’ve used.

The big decision — what rig to buy?

Reg and I are outside under the shelter when a couple stops by to ask questions about “your fiberglass egg.” I learn that they plan to sell their home in southern California, retire early, and live full-time on the road.

“We’ll try it for a year. We’re excited!”

Like me and many others, their choice of rig evolves, starting with a Class C (“too expensive and then you need a car, too”) to a travel trailer. At this stage they’ve narrowed the travel trailer field to fiberglass “eggs.” They also decide a van will be their tow vehicle.

I give them all the positives about the Best Little Trailer. I also caution them that two people living full-time in a 17-foot trailer can find it very challenging. They realize this and are looking for a trailer longer than mine.

Sadie sees us and leads Charlie over.

Charlie, who has a fifth wheel and lifelong experience with several types of rigs, shares his perspective, and adds . . . .

“No one can tell you what is best for you because everyone is different. If the trailer you buy doesn’t work for you, at least you will have a better idea what will work.”

The campground fills up for the weekend.

To give you a glimpse at something you’ll encounter if you camp in campgrounds . . . .

Next to our campsite there’s a site designed for tenters. It has a packed-sand pad. I call it the fee-jumpers site. Four nights in a row a car pulls into that site around 9:30 p.m. In the dark the person (or persons) sets up a tent. Sometime between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m., the tent is packed up and away they go.

Usually our temporary, surreptitious night-neighbors do their best to be quiet. Only one pair needs a reminder to keep voice-level down. (My windows are open and I can hear every word!) A few firm words from moi does the trick.

At first I’m puzzled why this particular site is popular with the fee-jumpers.

There are about fifteen other tent sites in the campground. Then I realize the obvious. The site next to ours is the furthest and least visible from the camp host’s site.

It’s a good thing I didn’t rush us out of here.

We would arrive too early in southern Arizona or southern California. During the day at Cedar Pocket we enjoy temperatures in the 80s; at night it can stay in the 60s. That’s warm enough!

rvsue

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Anxious to see where you end up in AZ. We are leaving right after Thanksgiving for our four months at our new Green Valley casita/condo (where we’ve also been warned about rattlesnakes and have a phone number for free snake removal) and we can’t wait. Looking forward to living in a different area and more sunshine (October in our area is online to be a record month for rainfall).

Having had 2 Casitas and an Oliver, if the $$$ is there go for the Oliver’ Just has a lot more than the Casita but BOTH are worth every penny. My late wife and I had a deluxe like Sue and a deluxe Liberty Casita. The Liberty can be easily converted to a two twin bed vs king which we enjoyed. Geri and I enjoyed our Oliver ( which is a Casita on steroids) which was very much like Sues floorplan. They still make it plus have added a longer model. You cannot go wrong with ANY fiberglass trailer IMHO.

“fee-jumpers” , now I know what was happening so many times this summer. And I just blamed it on the late sunsets in Alaska! We did see it happening the past few days at North Rio Grande National Monument near Questa, NM. A very serene, beautiful spot where we spent 2 nights giving our new truck camper its maiden cruise. It did very well, and so did we. The dogs, however found the 4 stairs on the metal stairway to be intimidating, but just as well cause there isn’t room for them underfoot in the narrow aisle (a Hallmark Ute pop-up camper). We think this will suit us better than the 21 ft. Escape. As one of your blogorinos said, “you just don’t know until you try”. In that case, buy one with an excellent resale value.

Not being familiar with the truck camper you bought, I looked it up…. nice! The “nimbleness” of truck campers appeals to me. You can get to out-of-the-way places and tuck into tight spots. I’m glad your “maiden cruise” went well. 🙂

Here’s a link with floor plans, photos, and details for anyone interested:Hallmarkrv.com

Hi Sue, glad the rattler didn’t cause any problems. I sure wish I could live simply enough (with Connie) for a Casita. We just moved up to a 40ft Class A. Can’t believe all the stuff we had crammed in our 30fter. Pepper says hello to Reggie, and that she wishes she was still young and spry like he is. Some days she astounds us with her energy, others we see the old lady we are all becoming! 😉
Be extra glad you haven’t made it south yet. Can’t believe it is the end of October and the heat is still here in Tucson. Headed to the Huachuca mountains soon, that will be cooler.

Great post, Sue and you and Charlie and the pups are very lucky enough to not have gotten bit by the snake,,,,,, we are waiting for the Call to get the voucher to find our new home and as soon as we are settled I’m setting up a appointment to do the next test on my thyroid, which will take a day to do, it contains a little bit of Radiation and a CatScan to find everything out what’s wrong so they can fix it, found out that my shakes and everything that’s not running right in my body is because of my thyroid over working,, my leg has finally Healed, and we’re camped off FR506 ’bout 4 miles west of Flagstaff as a crow flies and we’ll be here till Tuesday the 1st, then head back to Prescott Valley area, ,,,,,, have a great weekend and stay safe and give Reggieman a huge hug from us, will ya,,,,,,, Rusty n Piper

Hey Chuck,, ya it’s a bit cool, but yesseree I have a Mr Buddy Heater and it gets a bit warm in this camper and I have 2 quilts, a Wool trade blanket and a comforter to keep me rightly warm, + I have some flannels and Piper loves the coolness of the weather,,, 🌬🐾😎

Hi Sue and crew,
The area you’re in is so wonderful. I’ll be passing by in about a month. Meanwhile, I’m enjoying your adventures and great photos. I recently camped in a great campgroung in WY near Laramie. When i arrived noone was there. Too cold and too windy but around 11 pm a car drove in and what a surprise two pepole decided to camp right next to me. With all those campsites they needed my company? Really? Door slamming, talking, walking. They started again at 6 am. At least on the way out they stopped at the fee station and paid camp fees. On the other hand when I recently camped at Au Sable Point, NY I arrived at 6 pm and no one was thete to collect my fees. There was a note in October the state park Rangers are there from 8 am until 4 or 4:30 pm. I had a meeting at 8:15 and had to leave at 7:30. What i suppose to do? What would you do?

Good to see you here again…. What would I do? Hmm…. Was there not an iron ranger or some kind of self-pay station? If there wasn’t any secure place to leave a camp fee and I couldn’t hang around for the ranger, then I’d leave for my appointment. I’m sure the rangers (and any others involved) realize that one can’t pay during after-hours and apparently they’re okay with that.

As for people camping right next to you when there are many other choices, that’s a mystery to me. It’s like the car that pulled in and parked next to my back window, between the spare tire and the site post with our fee-paid ticket on it. Two adults and a child got out, walked across our campsite, and stood looking down at the river. Then, while talking, they traipsed back across our campsite to their car. Reggie went nuts. I didn’t, I’m proud to report. I’m no longer surprised by the stuff people do!

Hi Sue,
Have you thought about rattlesnake avoidance training for Reggie? It’s aversion training and it really worked with my Chi. They say you need to have an occasional refresher course but I haven’t needed one. She still alerts me on our hikes and she had the training 3 years ago…take care and enjoy!

Rattlesnakes and camp jumpers-Oh My! Interesting post today. I got my senior pass today as I heard a nasty rumor that they may raise the price to $80. Don’t know if that is a fact, as I haven’t researched it yet. But I bought mine now just in case. Going to look at an RV tomorrow hopefully. I just haven’t been satisfied yet with price or floor plans. Or maybe I am just picky – or maybe I just haven’t figured out what I want yet)) It can get confusing but trying to jump in informed and satisfied. I will find it! Check all shoes before sliding right in. You never know. Take care.

I am a young geezer though”)) Sue I have gone back and forth between Class B+ or trailer. Money and buying another vehicle and trailer. Both have plus’s and minus. I want something bigger than a casita because Maggie is a large dog and don’t feel like it is large enough. I will be stepping over her as she can’t get up on a bed. I am picky and just haven’t found the right thing yet. I haven’t seen the right thing yet that will fit my budget but I feel like I am getting close. I am so ready to get out there! I am going to need to save some money with that senior pass after the purchase so yoo-h00 Geezer Pass!

I can see where you’d want something bigger to accommodate Maggie. Just be careful not to go so big that you’re shut out of some of the older and inexpensive campgrounds with short campsites. I don’t know anything about Class Bs.

Some national forests/national monuments have signs at their entrance: Limit 28 ft. I’ve camped at those places… Either the campsites are extremely short and I have to park the PTV sideways to the BLT or the road in or the interior road of the campground has very tight curves and we only make it because our 34 ft. length “bends” in the middle.

Maybe a better way to look at length… Buy a rig that is long enough for you and your pets to be comfortable, and not a foot longer.

I do love this campground, I wouldn’t leave either if there are no time restrictions. from what I have been seeing & hearing, this winter is going to be very cold in some places and unseasonalby warm in others. I think we are the latter. End of October and still in the mid-80’s during the day, upper 50’s at night. Unbelievable, but not complaining.

Hi Sue,
I have an amusing camping incident to share… the topic: Kenny Flats Cows.( which would have been posted in a more timely fashion but we’ve been camping without internet access… )
In September Larry and I ended up camping in Kenny Flats Colorado because like you, we wanted to warm up after a week of great but damp camping just north of Silverton, CO. (10,800′)
one night at 2 am we woke up with our casita trailer surrounded by cows three deep. They were mooing, one or two bellowing. The cows were milling around packed close, as they sometimes do around a lone tree.
Don’t cows sleep? What on earth were they up to in the middle of the night?
I opened the window saying “Hey! Hey! Move on.” The cows only budged when Larry blew a whistle. They formed a circle ten feet back and did the stare. Eventually one cow turned and the rest followed.
Come morning the only sign of the bovine visit were muddy nose prints on the white Casita and a bumper end cap on the ground. That’s when we thought how funny it was.
All is well. I hope you and your best friend are enjoying each day as it comes.

Fee jumpers are like shoplifters….everyone one else ends up paying for them in the long run! I’m sure they also fail to practice the “leave no trace” non written rule of camping etiquette….pretty dodgy if you ask me!

My dog got bit by a copperhead because she stuck her ever curious nose right to it. Scary but the vet just treated her with a lot of benadryl, a shot then pills til the swelling went down and it worked. She also said a survivor is more resistant to future bites. Something to keep in mind in an emergency.

My dog Eddie is crazy with snakes. He catches 5 or 6 blacksnakes a year in my yard in Pennsylvania and shakes them by the tail.Several years later I still see some of them with teeth marks still visisble.When we snowbird out west every year, I have to keep him on leash.He gets more agitated without Juice around.She kind of assumed the role of Eddie’s parent.

Eddie is a wackjob.If he sees an unusual shaped cloud moving by, he will scratch his hindlegs in the dirt like a bull and growl.Also, he views turkey vultures overhead as some sort of alien invasion.All in all, he is a sweetheart though.

Hi, Sue,
Glad to know you are exercising and noticing the gains. It is a good feeling. I’m just starting my winter treadmill regimen. Starting with a 30 minute, 20 minute mile 4.5 incline. That’s probably what you and Reg accomplish during a walk.
I’m aiming to join my brother and sister next summer in a 5K walk-run.
Excellent photos and story, the quality we are so gifted. Thanks, Sue.

By now Charlie has seen enough of how you are around natural life to know you wouldn’t run away squealing in panic after seeing a snake. That’s really nice to know about someone when information needs to be shared, isn’t it? Other than let the camp host and others there be aware that rattlers are likely to be around there’s not much one can do in a situation like that besides making sure you and yours give the snakes a wide berth.

Your making progress on walks and inclines feels good , doesn’t it? I know I’m always pleased when there’s measurable improvement like that in the activities in my life. It’s a gift to get better in any area – physical, mental, spiritual, moral, emotional, social, etc. Especially when considering how easy it seems to have it go the other way…

Speaking about that, it sounds as if the tent campers that don’t pay already intend not to when they arrive. So, they arrive after dark, with no time to enjoy that beautiful place. Get a little sleep, without a clear conscience, likely their dreams aren’t sweet, either.Then miss sunrise there, too! What a sad way to spend their traveling time. If that’s their way of getting away from it all, imagine how pathetic their routine daily existence is. On a less dismal note, hopefully they recognize the discomfort their choices cause and change how they go about things.

The temperatures there are just about perfect, I’m glad you didn’t go further south too soon. The places that you enjoy winter in aren’t going anywhere, you and Reggie will just be all the happier to get there when you eventually do, sweet!

You’re right about the people who arrive late, leave early, and don’t pay the fee. My natural inclination is to empathize with someone on a tight budget, needing to be frugal. Then I look at the car and the tent and I don’t see poverty. Having a clear conscience as one goes to sleep — that alone is worth $8!

I hadn’t thought about Charlie calling me over to see the snake, what that says about how he sees me. You are very perceptive!

Today is the warmest day so far. I put the awning out and both fans are running. That makes it comfortable. Reggie is deep in slumber beside me.

I read online that it snowed in upstate New York! I can remember the amazement when folks would exclaim “Snow before Halloween!”

A friend the other day wouldn’t even say exactly what our forecast was. He said they mentioned the “S” word, Ha! So I didn’t go in to how the first (and final)snowfall always fills me with wondrous gratitude… We, in fact, here on the lake in Central New York, have yet to see any snow so far this autumn, though friends in nearby communities have. I remember a few years when coats were worn over Halloween costumes, and walking through snow on campus when my son graduated from Syracuse University in May, too. I like how the kids don’t let a little early or late winter spoil their fun 🙂

Thanks for the contented picture you describe of your being comfortable with your adorable treasure slumbering nearby. My kitties have only recently begun “Talking to each other” right before their bedtimes. They’re still in separate rooms for another couple of days until I can tell they really want to visit each other, as opposed to not being completely ready to feel that way. I’m blessed to have the time and situation to allow things to happen this way for them. Because neither of them had very promising beginnings in their journey the rest of it being spent with fun,joy and peace matters so much. I know you well understand all of that. Have a beautiful evening, it’s a treat having you online, as always.

Hi Weather, We had a couple of inches here in the Albany area. Unfortunately it was mixed with sleet and ice, so the roads were horrible by mid afternoon. By 7pm, it was mostly cleared away. However brief, it was way too early this year. Are you in the Finger Lakes region? I always wonder where you are.

Hi, Applegirl, That’s a rough introduction to wintry conditions. It seems that each year drivers need to relearn how to deal with slick or far worse roads. I’m glad you didn’t report having an accident. I’m on Oneida Lake’s north shore. It’s being so big helps keep a touch more warmth here until it freezes over, of course. That extra warmth also gives us some spectacular storms, too. We still have guys out fishing in boats .They’ll ice fish later on and a few of us just enjoy every season. Winter, for me anyway, was harder to love in urban areas-it had most of the hard aspects without the beauty that makes it all worth it. For your sake I was especially glad to read that you’d begun traveling southward to avoid the coldest parts. Enjoy your days, wherever their spent.

Hi again!
My Chi weighs eight pounds, much to Dr. Val’s concern. The avoidance class only took one time and about 20 minutes. They like you to come back once for reinforcement that was included in the original $85.00 cost (a group class so it was a bit less) but she really didn’t need it. No one runs away faster from a snake than she does. Where I live it’s rural and the snakes come right into the yard for water. One of my cats was bitten, she lived, and it was a nightmare. It doesn’t take much venom to kill a small animal. Take the class! You won’t regret it!

Sue great report…..thanks for the post
I have been busy buying me a 24 ft camper the last few weeks…
not sure what Im gonna do with it but Ive got it….HA
i’d like to take about a months vacation and go out west to
visit some of the places Ive been reading about on your blog….
mama will stay here and work since thats what she loves to do…
go figure…..
chuck and pookie

This news makes me very happy. You’ve written some comments over the past months that were tinged with sadness because you missed your former camping days. I’m absolutely tickled that you made the decision to get back “out there.”

I know I’ll be going west…..maybe next spring…..plan on
taking the camper down to High Island and staying on the
beach couple of days to try out my boondocking…make sure
I have all my eye’s dotted and my t’s crossed……still need to
get my solar set up and running…..Im looking at Why and Ajo
based on your posts of that area….also wanna spend some time around Tombstone….you were right!! planning on where I want to go is the most fun…..
chuck

Oh yes we really liked Kenny Flats. It was open for nice views with just the right amount of trees placed here and there. There was a choice of places to walk to.
We had the run of the place not counting the cows. One afternoon the cows made me get up from my reading spot outside and drove me inside the casita because they kept creeping closer and closer… and closer. Crazy cows!
What I really needed was your little spitfire, Reggie.

Those nosy steers will read over your shoulder if you let ’em! Yes, a Reginator makes them keep their distance, except after a while they play a game of coming as close to Reggie as they dare and then wait for him to chase them away.

I just came to realize that I know more about rattle snakes then I do about cows. If cows come into your campsite and bother you can’t you just scare them away or something. That happens in cowboy movies! Ha.
Dave R

Good Morning Sue,
Enjoying your posts and photos from Cedar Pocket. I like to follow your travels on Google maps and occasionally use street view to see what the area looks like. Some places you camp there is no street view at all and at some others the closest I can get is the campground entrance. At Cedar Pocket you can walk/drive the entire campground, it’s pretty neat.

Just curious, if you were traveling with a significant other and Reggie would you still use a tow vehicle and travel trailer or would you consider a class C or A. What size or length trailer/motor home would you be looking at. Any pluses or minuses of each would be helpful. We are not sure what to get. Can you tell we are a bit confused.

Thank You for your blog Sue, Very entertaining and We have learned so much.
FloridaScott

You’ve been walking the campground with us! I bet you can see the road that goes down to the day use area and how the river wraps around. The gorge must look interesting, but not as impressive as in person…

If I were traveling with a significant other, what rig would I buy? Tough question because I’d be a different person. In fact I can’t imagine me full-timing with another person, plus it’s unlikely that my interests, outlook on life, personal space needs, etc. match yours.

A rig influences how you live. These things are important to me: Simplicity, frugality, nimbleness.

1) Simplicity… The larger the rig, the more complicated your life. Not entirely, but that’s the tendency.

2) Frugality . . . The larger (or longer) the rig, the more expensive, whether because of the initial investment, a bigger tow vehicle is needed or the necessity of having two engines, higher repair costs, can’t fit into small spaces and campgrounds…. There’s a reason Wal-Mart parking lots usually have more big rigs than little ones and I don’t want to RV like that.

3) Nimbleness . . . Some people take big rigs boondocking. I wouldn’t. If I’ve pumped big money into a big rig, I’m not taking it to the kind of places where I like to camp. A travel trailer longer than 21 feet, I’d say, wouldn’t be nimble enough to suit me. Think rutted, rocky, narrow roads with tight curves.

My answer is very inadequate and doesn’t help you much. It’s too personal a decision. As Charlie said to the couple here the other day (paraphrasing).. You buy a rig that holds its value well. If you find out it’s not quite right, sell it and buy one that is.

Good luck to you both and thanks, Scott, for the compliments on my blog. I’m pleased to read it’s entertaining and informative for you. 🙂

Hi Sue,
Thank You for your reply. Actually your answers help me allot. To get your perspective, from someone that’s as experienced as you and out there actually living the RV life. I laughed so hard at your line “Small as possible without wanting to seriously harm the other person.” But it’s true!
Looking at a 2007-8 Ford Expedition for a tow vehicle and a 2008-10 Keystone Outback 21rs or 23rs travel trailer. The thing I really like is the queen slide out bed. Makes the trailer larger than it really is. It also has extra bunks that could be used for storage or if one or the other person needed a bit of privacy or were sick it would accommodate that..Your comments help me to think I’m on the right track. Thank’s again Sue!
FloridaScott

Now, people will yell at me but, when I am in a place where there are children or pets, not rattlesnake lives. I just won’t take the chance that if I “leave it alone” that it won’t potentially kill or at the least, injure someone. I have met that situation while on the road camping twice and both times the snake met a quick demise. I know, I know “they have a place in nature” etc., but my point is just as valid as that in my mind. This warming trend has broken several records here in the desert and it’s still a little warm but cooling. It’s not killer heat but comfortable. Hi to Reggie and you keep an eye open when out walking him, middle of the road so you can see what’s nearby. Nice post Missy.

If there is no one available with the tools and expertise to relocate a rattlesnake that is roaming in an area of children and pets, I’m all for destroying it. I’m hoping this particular rattler will be relocated since one cannot discharge a firearm within or near a campground.

Hi,Jim. Reggie and I are starting a walk in a few minutes and I will keep your suggestion in mind. Hi to Detta!

I’m glad to see you and Reggie are enjoying the warm weather in the beautiful Virgin River Gorge. After spending a wet, cool spring and summer in the Pacific NW and Montana I’m having warm thoughts of the beautiful desert. Those fall storms can really pack a punch!
If you’ve already considered this, please ignore; I had my dogs vaccinated for rattlesnake bites. It’s cheap and easy insurance and while it doesn’t prevent a reaction it minimizes it and buys you time to get to a vet. Dixie Vet in St George does it without an appt. $18 and in and out.
Enjoy the beautiful colors and light and thanks for passing on the delectable pics.

Lots of information here regarding rattlesnakes. We need to also remember there are plenty of types of rattlesnakes and some of them are protected. There are diffetent rules in different states. I spend months every winter hiking in a desert of the southwest and only saw one dead rattlesnake but I carry in my backpack a snake bite kit.

I read your blog again and it brought back a few memories of our early travel days when my spouse and I did some “fee-jumping” at tent camping. We would pull in around 9 and leave early, and while we only did it because we were pretty destitute, we felt guilty enough that we only did it a few times. Heck, I even felt bad during our October road trip that at Arches NP we got there too early for the registration kiosk to be open so we could show our geezer pass! We wanted to when we left but they didn’t stop us. I wanted stop so they at least knew we were “legal.”

Readers’ advising librarian is at it again. This March a new book will be published that I think you and some of your blogorinos might find as fascinating as I did. It’s titled STRANGER IN THE WOODS by Michael Finkel, and it’s the true story of Christopher Knight who as found after 27 years living as a hermit in the Maine woods. It’s fascinating and while I’m sure you have no big desire to become a hermit, Finkel’s research and acquaintance with Knight are very interesting.

Robin… I removed your link and put a link to Amazon in my reply. (The first link I posted was to the wrong book. I replaced those links. Sorry about that!) Interested readers can see a synopsis there, as well as numerous customer reviews. — Sue

You know, right after I posted that I was drifting off for a nap when I remembered I should have included the Amazon link instead of the GoodReads app. Mea culpa.

That being said, one reason I work with GoodReads is that there are usually advance readers’ reviews which Amazon doesn’t list until the book is published. So if anyone wants an idea of what readers are saying about the book, check it out on GoodReads but order it via RVSue. 🙂

I’d rather that my readers not post an Amazon link because people might mistakenly think that my code is embedded in it, and it may be several hours before I see it and change it. So, we’re good! Thanks again. I’m looking forward to reading this book

Any time you (or any reader) wishes to suggest a book, go ahead! Lots of us are always looking for suggestions for good reads.

I took Chloe to vet for a checkup today. She will be 10 in March and still acts like a puppy. She had an exam and blood work and shampoo and nedicine for a skin infection, and heart worm test and Meds. $350.00. Ouch!shewas groomed yesterday. I’m just getting her ready to stay with my friends while I am in NY. Other than that I have lounged today. Some days I am just tired.

I think I mentioned that I am thinking of getting a Prius for camping and part-time living. If I can save enough money. I think it would work well for me.

Did that rattler’s rattles rattle? We had a 3′ or so one in our driveway on Sept 26th, our 45th Anniversary. It didn’t move much but had it’s rattles sticking up but barely audible. Our son said that all the loud rattlers are getting killed so not much warning any more. Any truth to that?

Hi Sue, its been a while, but I have made the complete conversion to life on the road…As I type this we are sitting in an RV Park in Deming New Mexico..can you believe that…house sold, furniture moved out, dogs and cat in RV and on our way to Harlingen Texas for Rio Grande Birding Festival and then on to Florida by December 1….Life is just one big road trip now. I thought of you yesterday when we passed Dome Rock in Arizona and thought about all you Zonies. Hi to all…love to Reggie…I will be better at keeping in touch….

In case you haven’t been keeping up with his blog, I thought you might like to know that last night Tioga George drove away from his current home towing his new Scamp travel trailer, spent overnight in a new to him place and is now back to RVing and camping, Wow! What a guy he is to start over doing what he loves after what he went through, huh? I hope you’re enjoying your afternoon and have a wonderful night.

We are enjoying this evening. Thank you. Reggie and I returned from a long walk a few minutes ago.

I check in with Tioga George periodically and knew he was looking for a travel trailer. That’s wonderful news. George is on the road again! I’m happy for him! I agree — what a guy… He’s the reason I’m here in this gorgeous canyon today. I’ll have to catch up on his blog and start reading it more regularly.

Thank you regarding the new header photo. That photo was taken last year while we were camped near Blythe. I look forward to more spectacular sunsets!

Last one to post I am sure! I haven’t been getting my notifications in my email like I used to and I notice the the box had become unchecked! It’s checked now! Love that you are staying here awhile! Nice area! Love the image of the multi-layered with multi-colored mountain! I have no love of rattlesnakes either! I think if you can vaccinate Reggie to help him in case he gets bitten, it’s money well spent! Warm here too…. mid 80’s days high 60’s nights and we really need rain! I will try to keep up now that I found out why I wasn’t getting notifications from here. Doogie is still here!
Give Reggie an extra hug from us! Thanks for being you!

I was born and raised in AZ and can count on one hand the rattlesnakes I have seen( 55 years and counting). My brothers and I would run all over the desert in the Superstition mountains and the only mishaps were with Cholla and other cacti.

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Meet the canine crew!

Roger (left) and Reggie (right)

What is the BLT?

The BLT is what I consider the Best Little Trailer, a 2011 17-foot Casita Liberty Deluxe which is the full-time home for me and my crew.

What is the PTV?

The PTV is the Perfect Tow Vehicle. It's a 2005 Chevy Express Van with a V-8, 5.3 liter engine and equipped with a 200-watt solar panel on the roof and two AGM batteries inside.

What is a blogorino?

A blogorino is a reader who opens up the comment section of this blog and writes a message. Blogorinos are kind and friendly and fun to know!